Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-03-10
.nrxmY wAnp BEnongR DsAD.
A sketch OF Eats ssesnarkabie Life
and WOrk.

HENRY WARD BEEOHEH DEAD
A sketch OF Eats Remarkable Life
and WOrk.
During the night of Thursday last the
Rev. Henry Ward Beeeher. pastor of
Plymouth Congregational Church, was
seized with apoplery.
There were many callers Sunday, but
none of the family save. Col Beecher saw
any Of them. Mrs.. Beecher'a wonderful
will power has served to keep her up,
though when first informed ofthe vainness
Of hoping for fsyorable result abe was
for time much overcome. Early In the day
kilograms of sympathy and inquiry be-
gan coming TO her from all parts Of the
country. Those which required replies
she turned over to Col Beecher, who
answered them, as we'll as the large num-
Der were addressed TO him personally.
The kilograms of sympathy Mrs. Beecher
read and placed away carefully. She
spent a good deal of time at her table
yesterday opening these dispatches and
the large bundle of letters which came
from the post-ofice. Among the tele-
graphic dispatches which came was one
from President Cleveland.
NEW YoRK, March 8.--Henry Ward
Beecher died at $50 O'Clock this morn
ing. He began to sink slowly after mid
night, and the watchers at his bedside
soon saw that the end was near. Mr..
Beecher passed quietly away while asleep.
He never recovered consciousness after
paralysis stupefed his mind. Those
present at the bedside were Colonel n. b.
Beecher, his wife, his daughters Hattie
and Daisey and son Henry Ward Beecher,
Miss Edith Beecher, w. O. Beeoher and
wife, the Rev. Samuel Scoyille, Mrs. 8.
Sooville, eldest daughter of the Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher, Miss Scoville, who
has Just come from the Pacihc slope,
Miss Bullard, the Rev. 8. B. Halliday
and wife, Bella, the Scotch nurse who has
been with the family for many years and
was the special fayorite of the deceased
| preacher, the male nurse Riordon, Deacon
8. v, White, e. A. Seocombe, one of the
trustees of the Plymouth Church, and
Major J. B. Pond.
No Grape was hung on the door, Mr..
Beecher having always objected TO The.
use of this and the gloom associated with
1t In the presence of death. Tnstsad, q
magnificent wreath OF flowers hung from
the left side Of the doorway at the top of
the stoop composed of white snd T, d roses
and lilies of the valley and tied up with
white satin.
At 1890 II was given out that the
funeral would take place In Gree nwood
on Friday next. Sometime ago Mr..
Il. w. Sage, member of ri, moutl
Church, appropriated by will hlia Of
money TO place o statue of Mr. Ret che,
in Prospect Park after his dectase. MIR
Quincy Ward, the well-known scnlItor
who is to do the work, will call at thu
house In the course of the day for the
purpose of making plaster cast Of his
features. II Is not intended that my ex-
animation shall be made of Mr.. Bescher's
brain organism.
"A The news of Mr.. Beecher's death spread
very quickly to all parts of the city and
Brooklyn may now be said to be a city OF
mourning. Even those who did not al
ways concur with Mr.. Beecher In his
views had no hesitation in expressing
their deep regret at his death. As
q mark Of respect to his memory
the flags on all the public
buildings were placed at half
mast and Mayor Whitney bad the
city hall bell tolled for half an hour,
: commencing at 1908 a. m. By that time
the newsboys were shouting their ''extras'
Y on the streets announcing the death Of
: the great divine.
Many years ago Mr.. John T. Howard
r gave Mr.. Beecher portion of his plot in
1 Greenwood cemetery, and the members
9 of Mr.. Beecher's family who have died
2 have been buried there, but the commit
tee will probably select another plot.
4 Henry Ward Beecher. the eighth child o.
I Lyman and Roxana Foote Beecher, wa
! born In Litchfield, Conn.,, June Oath, 1918
nf xyffa 70
a which characterized Mr.. Beecher was de
a rived from long line OF New England an
n cestors, nearly all of whom were remark
. able for physical prowess or intellectual
i acumen. Lyman Beecher's fame as a thee
r logian, orator, writer and leader In move
ments such as the temperance and anti
slavery causes Is well known. He wa
a three times married and was the father o
10 ehlldren--among them Catherine, wit
! was prominent In female education
. Edward Beecher, writer, teacher and pas
tor, and Harriet Beecher Stowe, author
. Henry Ward Beecher was one OF tn
9 youngest three OF the IS children. Hi
v mother died when he was three years old
| and Harriet Porter, DIR. Beecher's secont
A | wife, Is represented to have been lady O
: such dignity that her influence was some
$ what depressing upon children full 9
Is days were unknown Rhe life OF the mimi
10 ter's children was characterized by an a
10 most Spartan simplicity, which, with til
" winds and SHOWS of the mountain town, d.
4 veloped ruggedness, energy. and sell
reliance. The first steps In his eduoaio
l. were taken at a Widow Kilbourne's, wher
he was perohed upon bench for severt
idle hours daily, only called upo
twice each day 10 say his letter.
When these were learned he wa
Al graduated to a little Imprinted distris
It school house, near the parsonage, where
I ! was exercised In reading the Bible an
1.-THE Columbian Orator." In elementar
arithmetic and handwriting. At 10 he wa
:, a strong, overgrown boy, obedient, used
"a hard work. and habituated, too, to hear til
r great questions OF Oalvanism daily dii
n cussed In his home and to argue upon thel
IN himself. He was poor writer and wors
I, speller, speaking indistinctly, and bashf'
\ to the verge OF stupidity At this time
= entered private school IN Bethlehem
| under the charge OF the Rev. DIR. Langdoi
N and there showed the strength Of b
opinions by vlctoriously defending tt
70 Bible In debate with schoolmata VIII
IN argued from Paine's Gage of Reason" A
Of of Mr.. Beecher's boyhood, as well as b
"a later life, was characterized by an intenf
y love OF nature and q fondnees amountin
= almost TO a passion for being out OF door
80 When, after an Improbable year at Betl
d. lehem, he was transferred to his sister
school for young ladies' at Hartford, b
quickly gained the reputation OF beirg "s
inveterate joker and an Indifferent scholar
At the age of ~ his father removed to Bo
ar ton and Henry entered the Boston Lat
school. But year Of dry study made hi
| moody and nervous and restless. AT b
'"' fathers suggestion he began to read bio
on raphies. the lives of travellers, sailors ar
de commanders. Carried away by their dee
%, OF daring and enterprise, he wrote to
nd lIbrother his resolve 10 go to Sc
~ llwith or without his fathel
~ permission. DR.. Beecher read th
I NJ letter, and shrewdly hnmoring his sons 9
IN pressed desire "to be a mtdshipman al
les afterward commander" reminded hi
W. IIthat training In mathematics and navig
m, Ition was essential, and promised to SOL
Fl. ibim to Mt. Pleasant in Amherst, for his pI
n lparatory studies. religious revival to-
q place at the school In the course Of Henri.
~ first year, which crystallzed into more de
IA mite form his keen sensibilities and vag
ok. purposes. At his fathers request he we
IN. to Boston, and there united with the Han
yer street Church. For two hears me
m. Henry devoted himself to classical stud
at Mount Pleasant, and In 1880 he enter
N, the freshman class at Amherst. In the i
two ysars in college Henry taught distr
schools, beginning his library with
MAJ money obtained, preached and spoke res
vet lhsiy In religious meetings, leotured on to
its peranoe, and, as the anti slavery queeti
nc was2Iust beginning, took his position boil
w as a2 abolitionist. Having been gradual
=. In GaH4, he began the study Of theolc
81 under his father at Lane Seminary, Cine
". natl. Here he was thrown into a life full
vas excitement, activity and controversy.
ade 1896 he appeared first publicly as the cha
tha nlNn of the anti slavery cause, The utt